DAQMAN SUPERNAP WINS BOBBYJO: Daqman landed his usual weekend big-race double with the Devon National on Friday and Saturday’s Bobbyjo Chase but the defection of I Am Maximus from the Bobbyjo saw his supernap, Nick Rockett (WON 5-6), reduce to a shade of odds-on.
Saturday: 20-point supernap
WON 5-6 NICK ROCKETT (Bobbyjo Chase)
Friday: profit on the day 14 points
WON 9-2 ART DECCO (Devon National)
TEST OF HIS CONSTITUTION
SEEING double? Constitution Hill fans face the fear on Tuesday that history will repeat itself, as Nicky Henderson sends his Champion Hurdle favourite to Kempton for another public gallop.
At a similar time last year, the horse was ruled out of Cheltenham after a Kempton workout which was a colossal flop, only serving to prove that Constitution Hill had an underlying respiratory ailment.
Maybe Nicky is just trying to lay the ghost of that embarrassing day when Press and TV were expecting the horse to stroll past his stablemates.
But Constitution Hill also missed the Fighting Fifth after a gallop at Newbury in November and it’s clear that the simulation of a day at the races is needed to expose any continuing problem.
GOLD DIGGER AT FONTWELL
⭕ 2.30 Fontwell (Certain Justice Challenge Trophy): Though this is often a slog in the mud, younger horses – maximum age eight – usually carry the weight to win (11-11 to 12-3 in five of the last six seasons).
But any suggestion that quality rises to the top in this 2m 5f chase is today made ludicrous by Doc McCoy’s recent form, perched on 12st but beaten a total of 149 lengths in his three chases.
Leading Swoop’s negatives are a bit more positive by comparison: three times placed over today’s CD at Fontwell though 0-14 under Rules, seven of them in chases.
Elpologreg was second here the last day over today’s trip on heavy ground but needs to do even better.
Rock On Rita has dropped 18lb since winning at Ludlow three years back and her Bath stable is in good form (Neil Mulholland: 25% strike rate) for J P McManus.
But the eight-year-old Valirann Gold has actually won two chases and been placed in 10 more, with his Fontwell form 21203. He’s £20k clear of any other runner on earnings.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 7.4 Valirann Gold, 14.5 Rock On Rita
MAKE SAM YOUR ALLY AGAIN
⭕ 3.00 Fontwell (National Spirit Hurdle): Sam Thomas was in terrific form in two days’ racing on Monday and Saturday this last week with overall figures of 113311.
That includes yesterdays’ £85k trophy at Kempton in which he had winner and third with Katate Dori and Our Power.
He sandwiched into second one of my big-race bets, Hyland, who ran no sort of race until staying on in the straight.
To have his odds clipped for the Grand National seems extraordinary but Nicky Henderson insists that the ground was against Hyland and seems to be giving the thumbs up to Aintree.
The Sam Thomas player in this 2m 3f Grade-2 hurdle is the unexposed Steel Ally, who made all over this 2m 3f at Haydock on the soft. BETDAQ 7.1.
Otherwise, the race is a return confrontation of January’s Windsor one-two-three Nemean Lion, Salver and Blueking d’Oroux, with Salver fancied at the weights to avenge a half-length defeat.
BE A SAINT, CHRISTOPHER..
⭕ 3.40 Hereford: I think it’s ok to guess that Christopher Wood has responded well to blinkers at his local Kings Caple yard.
He wears them in public for the first time today and Charlie Deutsch has chosen him over the other Venetia Williams runner, Lagonda, though that mare is a recent winner.
The market insists that they have to beat Champagnesuperover, though that one has failed to finish twice, and been beaten 16 lengths in between, in three starts since wind surgery. In fact, he hasn’t won since the Spring of 2022.
Christopher Wood hasn’t scored since before that, at a time in 2021 when Almazhar Garde was also winning. Subsequently ‘Garde’ has run ELEVEN seconds! Not too keen on pressure, then.
DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.30 Fontwell (win 20)
BET 3pts win VALIRANN GOLD
BET 1.5pts win ROCK ON RITA
★ 3.00 Fontwell (win 30, nap)
BET 5pts win STEEL ALLY
3.40 Hereford (win 20)
BET 4.5pts win CHRISTOPHER WOOD
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